World AIDs Day

     In celebration of World AIDs Day, Niccolo Cosme invited me and Angel together with our blogger friends, some well knowed celebrities, and others to join his PHC: Commit photoshoot.  This photo shoot was aimed to be released last December 1 in the hopes of making people more aware of what the disease really is, what are the ways you can do to prevent it, and also what are the things you can do to help.

     We were invited to join them at the Victoria Court in Quirino Avenue, there we were given a short presentation of what their program is all about.  After the talk, we were given a small box which contained some gifts that helps us remember what their aim is, making people aware that AIDs toll is rising and how to prevent it from doing so, on the said event, there was also a free AIDs screening as well to help us check if we we're infected as well.  The Red Whistle, is committed to making each Filipino aware about AIDs and also to eventually preventing it's spread.  Please do your part as well, be informed, be aware.  Blow harder. ^_^

Ghost Protocol

     "Blue means glue, red means dead", that is the line that stucked to my head while watching the trailer of this much awaited movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.  Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) returns with a new gang composed of William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg, also from M.I. III), and Jane Carter (Paula Patton).

     The Kremlin is bombed, and the blame is placed on the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) that is why the government initiated the black operation named ghost protocol.  Ethan and is team is out to find the one responsible for the bombing and only to find out that the bombing was just a distraction of a much larger scale of event.  And with just a few hours left, and low on resources, they try to do everything they can to be able stop a nuclear war from starting.

     I am really fond of cars, and one of the things I liked from the movie is the BMW i8, a concept car which came alive on the movie.  I was amazed and my mouth was about to water as I prayed that they don't put a scratch on the beauty that is the BMW i8.  Everything from the chase, to Ethan's climb of the Burj Khalifa (highest structure in the world, found in Dubai) was heart racing.  The movie never ceases to amaze and excite the audience as they hope that he surpasses each trial.

     Angel and I had the opportunity to watch the movie 10 days before the release in the movie screens according to Solar.  And we are proud to take part as well of the historic mark as Solar was able to surpass their sales from last year and is about to reach the 1.5B mark this year.

     This is what the BMW i8 looks like...

New Year's Eve

     Director Garry Marshall (Valentine's Day) returns with his star studded movie set to touch people's lives in his new movie entitled New Year's Eve.  In this movie, Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) is organizing the ball drop situated at the Times Square with his friend Brandon (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges).  They encounter some technical difficulties as they try to make things work, and with the hopes of being able to drop the ball, the story goes on with the other casts as well who tries their best to have a wonderful day.

     One of the things I liked in this film is how it made me feel wanting to see what's going to happen next.  It's the kind of movie that makes you thrilled as the movie goes on because it keeps you excited with each story the cast has.  With how Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) tries to accomplish her New Year's resolution with the help of Paul (Zac Efron) by bribing him with tickets to a very exclusive ball that Paul would do everything to get one.  There's also the story of Griffin (Seth Myers) and Tess (Jessica Biel) a lovely couple who is trying to be the one to get the first child delivered on New Year's eve.  Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi) a famous rock star tries to win the heart of his ex-girlfriend Laura (Katherine Heigl) whom he was about to propose to but had the cold feet and suddenly ran off to join his band on their tour.  Elsewhere, Sam (Josh Duhamel) tries to do everything he can to reach the party he needs to deliver a speech to and meet the girl he met last New Year's eve  whom promised to be back on the same spot they met and take the chance of starting a romance.

     These are just some of the wonderful stories found in the movie, and you'll definitely be surprised to find out that they are somehow interconnected as well to each other.  By the way, the greatest part I liked in the movie was after the movie, you'll find out why if you watch it ^_^

In Time

     Justin Timberlake (Will Salas) comes back in this thrilling movie together with Amanda Seyfried (Sylvia Weis) as they try to live by the second.  In Time is set on the year 2161 where people live without worry by the time they hit 25.  Because on their 25th birthday, their body's counter start counting down and if that counter hits zero, they die.  Everyone in this period works not for money, but for time, as the saying goes "Time is gold".

      Will meets a person at a bar named Henry Hamilton who he eventually saves from a gang who's about to steal Henry of his precious time (centuries of it).  In the morning, Will wakes up surprised to find out his body time was increased by centuries, after the incident with his mom, he journeys to the different time zones of his world as he try to unravel what happened with his dad.  Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), investigates the incident and hunts down Will, as he tries to unravel why Will suddenly was able to move between time zones.

     It was a fairly good movie, I got excited from the beginning with the chase and also how glamorous the setting was.  The only thing I didn't like was the ending.  Really didn't understood why they ended the movie that way, would have been better if they ended it in on the previous scene instead.  More dramatic and hearth warming as well.  Just my point of view.

Happy Feet 2

     Mumble, the tap dancing penguin, and the gang comes back to adore us with his funny antics again in the sequel to Happy Feet.  In this movie, he comes back with an even larger gang with the expansion of their kids, Erik, Mumble's son has a problem of discovering his real talent.  He is afraid to check if he is more inclined to dancing or to singing.

     As he discovers his gift, he is accompanied by his friends Boadicia and Atticus, they try to discover how it is like to live outside of the Emperor penguin's land together with Ramon to visit the Adelie penguin's land.  There they meet Sven, the so-called "flying penguin", and as the journey goes on, they discover that friendship could come in different sizes and manner.

Train the comeback!

     It was my first time to enter Araneta, now named Smart-Araneta Coliseum.  And coincidentally, it was also Train's first time to perform at the coliseum as well.  I was really thankful that Orange Magazine TV.Com gave me the opportunity to experience a chance of lifetime care of my good friend Jeman Villanueva.

     This is actually their second concert, Pat (Vocals), Jimmy (Guitarist), and Scott (Drums) sang Shake Up Christmas the first one was last June 18, 2010 at the Alabang Town Center.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend it since I didn't had money to buy the tickets, so I was really happy when Jeman said that he was giving away his ticket.  So last December 7, me and Angel met up with her friends Alex and Ms Earth to watch their show.  They had 6cyclemind as their front act who sang 3 songs.

 

      After their performance, the lights were turned off.  Then suddenly... the echoing sound of a train was heard.  Then crowd suddenly started to stand up as all were ecstatic and was thrilled to see them.  And so they sang their first song... and everybody just went wild as they sang and danced along the song.  The band was so full of energy that most people didn't mind standing up all through out the concert.

      Train had an astounding performance and had great interactions with the crowd as well.  Some even had the opportunity to get a shirt from them, a hat, guitar pics, etc...  During their song Hey Soul Sister, they invited 10 women to the stage and they showed of their dancing and singing skills, their price, a guitar signed by Pat.  Other songs they played was Calling All Angels, Drops Of Jupiter, Don't Stop Believing (where he called two women from the audiences to sing along with him), If It's Love, their song for the coke commercial Shake Up Christmas, and one of their all time favorites... Marry Me, were Pat actually went around the area while also wishing the couples around to keep on loving each other.

      Hopefully they have the same energy level all through out their show just like what they did.  Kudos to Train for being such a great band.

Iron Will

Real Steel  

     Imagine watching Pacquiao in a giant robot form... how would you feel as you watch the fight, every blow shown about 2-3 times larger, the impact of the blows much stronger, and sparks flying everywhere...  This is how you would feel watching this magnificent film.  On October 8, me and Angel went to watch Real Steel at the IMAX of SM North.  I came 15mins late, but was able to catch the first robot box fight.  It was really nerve racking, well maybe because I'm a huge fan of robots since I was a child (I have a collection of Gundam Deathscythe) that I really loved the robot scenes.

     Robots, flashy gadgets (I wish I had the cool speaker and phone), torn family, and a dream to unite them all.  From the start, the crowd were amazed with how the movie shown type of father Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was, a use to boxer who had such a huge debt that he's literally running away from those he owns money from who suddenly have the chance of spending some time with his son whom he never met for 11 years.  Although you can feel the problem they were facing with catching up with the time they lost, they were easily united by a rundown sparring robot named Atom which Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo, son of Charlie in the film) found after being saved at a junkyard.

     The next scenes were both funny and inspiring at the same time, the times when Max was  was fixing Atom and also practice some dance moves as well.  Atom was really an inspiring robot, he made the crowd cheer him up with all the fights he had.  He was a complete example of a hero in a film, let's himself beat down first, then when you least expect it would suddenly amaze you with his iron will.  The part I loved the most was in the end when Atom lost his hearing, and Charlie had to use his shadow function to fight Zeus (the undefeated URC Champion).  Charlie had all smiles as he was fighting together as Atom's shadow, while Max was all tears as he watched his dad and Atom fight.  I knew right there and then that he understood what was told to her by Charlie's friend when she described him on how beautiful he fought.

     All in all, this movie deserves a 5/5 stars, because of the enjoyment you and your family would have while watching such a heartwarming movie.  Truly one movie you'd watch over and over again with your family.  A robot with an iron will.

Asian Fusion Sensation

Crustasia 

     This is my first food event, and also my first time to go to Rockwell.  I've always stayed away from Rockwell because I know it was a place for elites, a place that I knew I would have a hard time spending to enjoy a fine dining place.  Much to my amazement, me and Angel were invited to have dinner last October 7 at the newly renovated Asian Bistro there, Crustasia!

     The place was truly a sight to behold, comfy chairs, simplistic yet modern artistry, and a high ceiling adorned with beautiful lights.  I felt like a kid entering a candy store for the first time, the feeling was truly a sight to behold.  And after seeing, I suddenly smelled the tasteful air.  And even though it was raining cats and dogs during that time, the air was rich with the smell of beautiful fragrances you'd know you would want to taste the dishes it came from.  I've traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.  So I know the feeling of excitement of being able to taste a delicacy that you can proudly say is Asian. 

      We were first given our own choices of drinks and was served our appetizers, The Grand Javanese Sampler which was composed of Indonesian bread stuffed with eggs and meat curry, Spicy Anchovy (Dilis) and peanut, Indonesian Assorted crackers, and Corn Fritters), one of the famed Sichuan Seafood Spicy Pots which was the Sichuan Boiled Catfish, and last but definitely not the least, Thai Catfish Salad which I loved the most because of its texture and taste.  I ate it until the very last strand.

     Then came the main dishes, Hunin Cumin ribs which was a bit spicy but was a delight to eat because it was easy to hold and like most ribs, the meat was almost peeling freely from the ribs once you take a bite into it...  Yummy...  Next was Angel's favorite, crabs!  The one they served was the Kepiting Masak Sauce Mentega (Indonesian Sweet Soy and Butter Crab).  The crab was enormous and Angel had so much fun tearing it apart.  The last they served were two of my favorite dishes I tasted in Singapore, sate and squid.  The one they served was the Thai Style Grilled squid and the All Meat Sate sampler.  I love Sates, but I really look forward to the taste and the texture whenever I eat one.  Because whenever me and Angel would eat out at a place here in Manila that serves sates, most of the time I get disappointed with it.  But to my amazement, the ones served at Crustasia really stood out.  It was a sate that satisfied my tastebuds.

      While we were dining, the management and also some of their chef explained and also gave out pointers about the meal we were having.  One of which was most of the ingredients they were using was actually imported from Indonesia or Malaysia (mostly their spices) and that some of the Chefs were actually foreigners (one was Thai, and Chef Nur I think was Viet).

     Unfortunately, it was only after we were eating that I found out that they were serving my favorite, Kangkong Lechon, while I was reading their menu.  But then again that would be one of the things I'd be looking forward in the future when we get back there.  I can truly say, if you want to satisfy your taste buds for the meals you are missing when you area traveling other Asian countries, I would highly recommend eating at Crustasia, it's an Asian dinning experience in one place.  Thanks again Ms Chosa!

Photo courtesy of Alex De Vera Dizon, www.recyclebinofamiddlechild.com and http://lafanggero.blogspot.com

Bizu Patisserie

Bizu, 10 yrs and more 

      September 7, me and Angel attended the Bizu bloggers party at Greenbelt 2.  I came 30mins early, but eventually came late because I had a hard time finding the restaurant (the invitation said it was on Greenbelt 4).  As far as I can remember, Bizu was the place where I always bought some of those colorful and delicious french macarons that Angel loved so much and it was in the area where I normally park.  But then I knew it had already been transferred so I tried looking for it around Greenbelt.  I eventually found out it was within the area of the bars in Greenbelt 2, so I hurried there and found that the event was going to be held in the lounge area in front the store.

     It was really a sight to be hold, the place was so beautifully designed to make you feel like you're in a classy resto and yet still feel at home.  While I was waiting for Angel, I was handed a disposable cam which we were given the task to use up because the photos inside it would be posted at the Bizu website and that they would pick one picture which would show happiness caught in the moment. I was accompanied by Oms in a few while and we just enjoyed each others company while we wait for Angel.  We were given "hors d'oeuvres" which was French for appetizers and white wine.

 

      Aaron, part owner of Bizu, gave us a brief history of Bizu.  Bizu actually came from the French word "Bisous" which means kiss.  Since it was hard to spell, they used Bizu instead coming from the word "Beso" which also mean't kiss in Filipino.  I had a ton of information overload, but I new well to remember the things I learned from his talk since it doesn't hurt to have some additional information ^_^

     As we were given our set meal, Aaron also gave us some info as well regarding the dish we were having.  This is the delicious menu given to us by Bizu:

French Onion Soup, classic onion jus braised with balsamic vinegar, croutons, and gruyere cheese

Truffle Salad, warm mushroom with asparagus, truffle jus dressing on mesclun

10-Hour U.S. Roast Beef, slow-cooked USDA beef belly, potato gratin, grilled vegetable, horseradish and mushroom espagnole

Trio Desserts, Strawberry Chiboust, Opera Cake, and Macaron de Paris (Lemon)

     We also had fun playing games and also engaging in the question and answer portion which had topics coming from Aaron's discussion regarding Bizu's origin.  I think all of us we in one way or another.  I really enjoyed this event, because I learned a lot, had tons of fun, and also was able to taste a very delicious meal.  Truly Bizu had captured their theme for this night, "Joie de Vivre" or the joy of living.  Everywhere you looked, most of the people were having so much fun either with the food their eating, the prize they won, and the tons of smiles shared by each person who was enjoying the night.  Thank you so much for sharing this memorable event Bizu! I wish you have more years to come!

In case you want to join Bizu's photo contest, you can visit their website at www.bizupatisserie.com or facebook.com/ilovebizu for the complete contest mechanics and registration forms.

BenMore Scotch Whisky

A New Taste Of Scotland 

      On September 6, I had the opportunity to attend the release of a new brand of drinks designed to captivate your senses and give the beautiful taste of a whiskey in an affordable price.  

      Diageo, a leader in the liquor industry introducing popular brands such as Johnnie Walker, J&B, Jose Cuervo, and more, produced its newest drink that would help you enjoy the the great taste of a luxurious drink for about P300+.  I am an occasional drinker, and at first was dubious with the promo of making such a drink affordable since I know that scotch are a bit expensive since they are the kind you keep in the cellar for special occasions.  So as we listened to how BenMore came to be, I was able to understand how it came to be, a competition for some of the big brands of whiskeys in the market.

It has a unique Stag symbol embossed in the bottle, it symbolizes leadership, superiority, and masculinity

     BenMore scotch whiskey was produced from four casks, sherry, bourbon, charred, and refill.  It has an alcohol content of 40% so it is not advisable to drink it quickly like what you would normally do to a local brandy or rum, it is a drink meant to be savored.

Borgy Manotoc, BenMore ambassador

     You can drink it straight up, on the rocks, with water, iced tea, tonic, soda, cola, or what ever you choose to.  The only think I can guarantee is if you drink it, you'd appreciate the taste of true perfection given by BenMore.

Samsung Plasma 51" Series 8

Me And My Samsung Devices 

     There are three items I own that are proudly Samsung made... three items which a person normally uses everyday in terms of entertainment, business, and socializing.

My TV, Samsung 26" LED TV Series 4

My Laptop, Samsung RC418 which I named Sera ^_^

My Phone, Samsung Nexus S

      As a tech geek myself, I always try to look for the best thing I could afford without salvaging the quality of the device I'm going to buy.  So I was really surprised to find out that Alex was inviting me to give my insights on one of Samsung's latest TVs on September 4.  The Samsung 51" Plasma TV Series 8 and their latest Blu-Ray player, I literally had to relax the night before because I can't stop thinking the things I'd like to try out with that kind of super TV. ^_^

Samsung 51" Plasma TV Series 8, a very Smart TV

Our Blog Sites

    
     Here are the long list of what this Smart TV can do.  As they say,the longer the list, the better performance the TV has! ^_^

• Plasma +1
• Free Skype-To-Skype on the big screen TV
• 3D Auto contrast
• Ultra Slim design
• Reduced layered images
• 3D Converter
• Search all
• Smart Hub
• Web browser
• Your Video
• Social TV
• Samsung Apps
• All share
• Connect share movie
• Clear image panel
• Micro dimming
• Full HD 1080p
• 3D HyperReal engine
• 600Hz Subfield
• Real black filter
• 3D sound
• Wide colour enhancer
• HDMI X4
• Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC)
• BD Wise
• Digital noise filter
• Brigthness sensor
• WiFi built in
• SRS theatre sound

     Still not convinced on having one?  I don't believe so.  Because the moment you turn this TV on, you'd understand how I felt like.  It's like being in front of a very large chocolate cake, it would make your mouth water.

      We had so much fun playing Super Street Fighter IV (Arcade Edition) as well as we tried playing it in 3D.  Angel felt so thrilled as we kicked and punched away while enjoying the beauty of the graphics Samsung has to offer.  I truly am lucky to experience such for even a short span of time.  And was even luckier to have enjoyed with my friends.  Good thing I brought my laptop because one of my hobbies was collecting HD movies.  So after playing, we went on trying out the crispness of the TVs HD quality.  And crispness I did got as we watched Avatar (Extended version), Legend of the Guardians, Transformers 2, and some HD videos from YouTube.

 

     Unfortunately we were unable to test out the 3D quality that much because the 3D glasses' batteries were drained, so we only tried playing the HD movies thru the Blu-Ray player as well.  The sound quality was superb as well as I played my iTunes while we rested a bit after playing and watching.  I really wish the TV's controller had the capability to enter letters as well because it was a bit hard surfing the web thru the TV.

     All in all, the experience we had with the TV was 5/5, I expected to be astounded by the picture quality, and it did astounded me so much that I plan to have one in the near future.  Video quality is actually one of the reasons why I bought my laptop in the first place, after finding out that the laptop had HD quality, and knowing it was made by Samsung, you definitely can trust you are in for a great and thrilling ride in terms of movie viewing.  Nothing beats quality watching with a Samsung.

The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences

The Art Of Hospitality 

Simple yet elegant

      I was so excited to go the place where we were going to check in last September 4, I thought we were going to have a hard time finding the place.  But to my surprise, we found it so easily.  We came from the Ayala Triangle, from there it's just about 5mins drive and about 10-15mins walk.  As I view the front, I had the idea that who ever designed the hotel was a very artistic person because all we're well designed but had a simplistic feeling to them.  The reception area was small but didn't waste time to impress the guest who would arrive, it was fronting their restaurant, Brasserie Boheme, had a very classy homey feel to it.

The Reception Area

     We were told that we were going to stay at the Picasso Suite (the next to the most expensive room) and the room was 801.  Every time you look at a specific area in the building, you would always be marveled by the different paintings that are displayed on the walls or the artistry of how the hotel is design in terms of materials that are used and placed in the surroundings.  

     Once we exited the small but elegant elevator, we found our room just beside the elevator's exit.  And the moment we entered, we were all mesmerized by the size and also how beautiful the room was.

Flow, Alex and me

The different views of the suite we spent the night at ^_^

     As you can clearly see from the pictures, it was a really beautiful suite.  And it was even more beautiful because of the Samsung TV in the middle of the living area.  We were like kids testing all the different couches and were just simply amazed to how clean, beautiful, and comfortable the place was.  After resting a bit and testing the TV, we had dinner at the Brasserie Boheme downstairs and had our own share of appetizing meals.

Like dining in a first class restaurant ^_^

Salads, soups, fish, pork, beef, and desserts!

      We really enjoyed the meals which were not just delicious but were served in large artistic plates that often times we were amazed to having such a meal served in front of us, one can't stop but wonder what you would want to do.  To look at the beautiful presentation of the meal that was served, or to taste the mouth-watering dish that you have been given.  Nevertheless, the second choice won.  And we really enjoyed the night as we also talked about the different experiences we had before we got together.

Stuffed and happy! ^_^

     All in all, our Picasso experience was really an experience worth trying again.  Good food, beautiful place, and very friendly people.  They allowed us to borrow their umbrellas when we had to go out that night to buy some snacks for our movie marathon.

     If you want to visit their website you can go to this link http://picassomakati.com/

Ayala Triangle's Chinese Restaurant

Wee Nam Kee 

Picture c/o ClickTheCity.Com

      I was going to meet up with Angel last September 4 at the Ayala Triangle, and since me and my dad haven't eaten lunch yet, we decided to eat at our meeting place instead.  Angel wanted to try a Chinese restaurant there named "Wee Nam Kee" so me and my dad had a table reserved when we arrived earlier than expected.

     It was already past 1pm, and since Angel was no where to be found, I decided to order already.  These were the dishes...

Spicy Crab

Mantou aka Chinese Buns, I liked these ones dipped in the crab sauce ^_^

Sweet And Sour Fish Fillet

Sambal Kangkong

Beef And Broccoli

Roasted Pork

     Unfortunately me and my dad were so hungry to wait, added the fact the dishes served in front of us all looked mouth watering, I just asked Angel if we can eat already while waiting for her to arrive.  The taste was really great, each and every bite makes you so satisfied you would want to eat the whole dish.  I only had to stop because I know Angel was hungry as well, the crab I didn't touched because it was a dish I bought for my dad.  Angel arrived about 30mins since me and my dad came to the restaurant.  Good thing I ordered 5 of the chicken rices, the rices were so yummy you'd ask for seconds.  And yes I ordered another of those mantous because it really tasted great.

     Anyway, we were so stuffed but still had a lot of the dishes left.  So Angel decided to have them wrapped as her lunch for tomorrow since we had about an hour to head to our next event which is to check in at the Picasso Hotel to test out some Samsung products.  All in all, the dish was great, but in terms of service, I had to rate them 3/5 because of how slow the waiters were to notice that we already ran out of water or that the bill was incorrect.

      One last note, don't buy the crabs, too pricy, costs P150 per gram and the one I bought was 500+ grams.  But really had to buy it since dad really likes eating it ^_^

Great Dole Cook-Off

Cooking With Dole

Chef Jeremy Favia

     Me and Angel had the opportunity to be invited at the Great Dole Cook-Off held last August 26 at the Magsaysay Institute for Hospitality & Culinary Arts (MIHCA) located at the 5f of Walter Mart, Makati.  I've been using Dole since my younger days because my mom always sees to it I drink lots of Dole juice to get well whenever I get sick, plus my mom always uses it as ingredients for her dishes.  So I was really eager to see what would happen at the cook-off, when I arrived, I was told by Angel that the winners of the cook of was already being awarded.  I wish I could have joined because I learned that the contestants battle was to imitate what Chef Jeremy did, and he actually cooked pasta.  And I love cooking pasta, well better luck next time for me.

Juan Manila grabbed 1st prize for the Cook-Off challenge

      So I just watched the awarding and also sampled the dishes that was served.  The place was really cozy, you'd feel like you are cooking at a fine dining restaurant but still feels you are eating in your home's kitchen.  I loved most of the dishes except the soup.  And I especially loved the fish dish called "Dory Braised in Tomato Sauce" because the Dory was so delicious and the sauce that came along with it made the dish even better.  I really love the taste of Dole pineapple in tomato sauce when it is served in a very good meal.

Dory Braised in Tomato Sauce

 

Chili Con Mushroom Over Herbed Baked Potato, this came second place to the dishes I liked that night ^_^

      I really loved how much Dole influenced our meals, it never fails to reinvent it's self even after all these years to spice up our every meal.  Enjoy eating!  And don't forget to reinvent your meals with Dole ^_^